Grand Prairie Historical Society to hold first meeting of 2013

Immanuel is an African-American community on Highway 33 between Almyra and Casscoe with a rich history of generations of families and a school.

Comment

By Bill Shrum, bshrum@stuttgartdailyleader.com

Stuttgart Daily Leader - Stuttgart, AR

By Bill Shrum, bshrum@stuttgartdailyleader.com

Posted Jan. 16, 2013 at 1:00 PM
Updated Jan 16, 2013 at 1:02 PM

By Bill Shrum, bshrum@stuttgartdailyleader.com

Posted Jan. 16, 2013 at 1:00 PM
Updated Jan 16, 2013 at 1:02 PM

STUTTGART

Bringing history awareness and preserving history in the community is the mission of the Grand Prairie Historical Society, which will hold its first meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Immanuel Community Center at Immanuel.

Immanuel is an African-American community on Highway 33 between Almyra and Casscoe with a rich history of generations of families and a school.

Among the history of Immanuel is the Immanuel Industrial Institute, which was founded for African-American students, in a once thriving community nestled in between these rural communities.

"The churches in the community saw a need for a school and set forth in motion the existence of the Immanuel Industrial Institute," Gracie Jemerson, committee member of “Friends of Immanuel,” said.

Jemerson said the legacy of Immanuel Industrial Institute is that everyone who is involved in the project of preserving all of the documents concerning the school is related to one another.

"It is important to preserve this history at least for the younger generations to be aware of the Immanuel Industrial Institute," Jemerson said.

Rev. P.A. Garrison was the first principal at Immanuel Industrial Institute, which provided education both in the elementary grades as well as in high school.

"It is important to maintain the legacy of Immanuel and the Immanuel Industrial Institute," Gena Seidenschwarz, secretary of the Grand Prairie Historical Society, said.

Jemerson will present a video of the 1962 and 1964 classes of Immanuel High School, which will also include a number of the buildings used in the past as well as in the film of the graduation classes.

Janice Streeter, an alumni of Immanuel High School, will also present a slide show of Immanuel High School.

For more information on the society and the program contact Jemerson at (870) 673-4201 or Seidenschwarz at (870) 673-7001.